West Liberty University
Physician Assistant Program
STUDENT HANDBOOK
POLICIES AND GUIDELINES
2015-2017
West Liberty University
Physician Assistant Program
Student Handbook
West Liberty University and the Faculty and Staff of the Physician Assistant Program welcome you! We congratulate you on this accomplishment and look forward to assisting you in achieving your career goal of becoming a practicing physician assistant. The path you have chosen is intense, yet highly rewarding. In addition to guiding you through the academic and clinical phases, the program will also instill professionalism and empathy, traits that are essential in the arena of patient care.
The Student Handbook provides information about the policies, procedures and requirements for successful navigation and completion of the program. The information provided is not all inclusive and school-wide policies and procedures are also covered in the West Liberty University Student Handbook. Additional information will be distributed and/or discussed throughout the course of the program.
Questions about policies, requirements, and procedures may be directed to faculty, staff, or the Program Director for clarification. You are encouraged to refer to the handbook frequently for information. Please retain this handbook for the duration of the program.
You are also required to detach the Statement of Acknowledgement form, sign, date, and then return it to the department Administrative Assistant no later than two weeks from receipt of the handbook.
Welcome!
Full-Time Program Personnel
William A. Childers Jr, Ed.D, MS, PA-C, Program Director 304-336-5100
Howard Shackelford, MD, FACS, FACC, Medical Director 304-336-5099
David Blowers, MPAS, PA-C, Clinical Coordinator 304-336-5294
Sarah Brammer, MSPAS, PA-C, Academic Coordinator 304-336-5199
Jennifer Childers, MSPAS, PA-C, Assistant Professor 304-336-8856
Robert Wetzel, MD, FACOG,Principal Faculty Member 304-336-5190
Tara K. Hardman, A.A., A.S., Senior Administrative Secretary 304-336-5098
Telephone: (304)-336-5098
Fax: (304)-336-8868
Statement of Acknowledgement
I have received a copy of the Physician AssistantProgram Student Handbook-Policies and Guidelines, 2015-2017. I agree to read this and to follow the policies outlined.
______
Name (print) Signature Date
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Topic Page
ACCREDITATION STATUS...... 7
MISSION AND GOALS
CURRICULUM
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS -19
CODE OF ETHICS OF THE PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT PROFESSION
TECHNICAL STANDARDS......
OBSERVATION
GENERAL POLICIES ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE:
EDUCATIONAL ASSUMPTIONS
Dress Code
Program Expectations of Students
Decision Points
The Grading and Assessment System...... 26
CPR/ACLS
THE CLINICAL YEAR
THE PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT CLINICAL KNOWLEDGE RATING AND ASSESSMENT TOOL (PACKRAT)
EXAMINATION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES...... 30
Academic Dishonesty...... 30
PROFESSIONAL EXPECTATIONS...... 31
POLICY REGARDING REMEDIATION AND DECELERATION AND DISMISSAL
WLU PA STUDIES GIREVANCE AND APPEAL PROCEDURE…………………………………...... 35
HEATH SCIENCES GRIEVANCE & APPEAL POLICY...... 36
GUIDELINES FOR ACADEMIC PROBATION...... 37
PROGRAM DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS...... 38
GUIDELINES FOR ADDRESSING SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND OTHER FORMS OF UNLAWFUL DISCRIMINATION AND GRIEVANCE 39
GUIDELINES FOR VOLUNTARY WITHDRAWAL………………………….………...... ……40
GUIDELINES FOR LEAVE OF ABSENCE
ACADEMIC ADVISING AND COUNSELING………………………………………………………... 41
REQUIREMENTS FOR PROGRESSION/GRADUATION
CLEARANCE FOR GRADUATION
CLEARANCE FOR THE NCCPA (National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants) BOARD EXAMINATION
OPPORTUNITIES FOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO PA EDUCATION ANDTHE PA PROFESSION....
HEALTH PROFESSIONAL REQUIREMENTS3
Health Screening and Immunization Verification
Health Insurance/Financial Responsibility
Universal Precautions:
STUDENT BACKGROUND CHECKS AND DRUG SCREENINGS...... 47
PROGRAM COSTS, FINANCIAL AID and REFUND POLICY
Tuition and Fees
Financial Aid
Estimate of Costs (FY 2015-16)…………...... ………...... ……………………………………..48
Tuition Refund Policy...... 49
Registration...... 49
Change of Address...... 49
Practice Liability Insurance...... 49
ID Badges...... 49
GRADE REPORTS...... 50
Incomplete Grades
MISCELLANEOUS ISSUES
WLU – Department of PA Studies Communication Policy for Students ......
E-mail Addresses ......
Social Media policies/Guidelines ...... 52
ADDITIONALCLINICALPHASEINFORMATIONANDPOLICIES…………...... ……………54
Section 1 - General Clinical Year Policies …………………...... ………….……...…….55
Section 2 - Entry into the Clinical Year …………………………………...... ….….…………... 57
Section 3 - Dress & Behavior Standards …………………………………….....…….…………. 58
Section 4 - Attendance..…………………………………………………………...... …………. 61
Section 5 - Grading Policies & Academic Standards ………………………………...... ……….64
Section 6 - Miscellaneous Standards, Policies & Issues ………..………………...... …. 66
APPENDICES ..…………………………………………………………………………………………. 71
Appendix A - Patient Rights ……………………………………………………………………. 72
Appendix B - Guidelines for Written case Presentations for Clinical Clerkships …….…………73
Appendix C - Psychiatric/Behavior Medical Case Study Template ……………………………..78
Appendix D - Power Point Presentation …………………………………………………………82
Appendix E - Decision Point Checklist …………………………………………….……………83
ACCREDITATION STATUS
The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) has granted Accreditation-Continued status to the West Liberty University Physician Assistant Program sponsored by West Liberty University. Accreditation-Continued is an accreditation status granted when a currently accredited program is in compliance with the ARC-PA Standards.
Accreditation remains in effect until the program closes or withdraws from the accreditation process or until accreditation is withdrawn for failure to comply with the Standards. The approximate date for the next validation review of the program by the ARC-PA will be March 2022. The review date is contingent upon continued compliance with the Accreditation Standards and ARC-PA policy.
MISSION AND GOALS
West Liberty University Mission Statement
To provide our students the opportunity for a high quality undergraduate, graduate, and professional education.
West Liberty University Physician Assistant Program
Mission Statement and General Goals
Mission Statement
The West Liberty University Physician Assistant Programis committed to providing a high-quality education to physician assistant candidates, who as an integral part of the health-care team, will provide empathetic and competent care to the patients they serve, including those in underserved areas.
General Goals
Graduates of the Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies will:
Be clinically competent primary care physician assistants who practice evidence-based medicine.
Reflect the highest standards of compassionate, legal, ethical, and moral conduct.
Be team-oriented, culturally sensitive providers who are dedicated to their communities.
Encourage improvement in the quality, accessibility, and cost-effectiveness of patient care in their community and state.
Be critical-thinking and effective communicators with both patients and health care professionals.
Identify the lack of medical care in rural and underserved regions and consider practicing their discipline or providing service in such locations.
Have an appreciation of the greater field of knowledge beyond their discipline and recognize the importance of lifelong learning in maintaining a level of excellence in their practice.
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West Liberty University
Physician Assistant Program
Curriculum[BC1]
June 2015 – June 2017
Jun29-Sep 182015 / Sep 28-Dec 18
2015 / Jan 04-Mar 25
2016 / April 4 -Jun 15
2016 / Clinical Clerkship / Begin / End
Clinical Clerkship-1 / Jun 27, 2016 / Jul 29, 2016
Human Anatomy &
Physiology I
(PA-501) (4 units);6 / Human Anatomy &
Physiology II
(PA-502) (4 units); 6 / Health Promotion
& Disease Prevention.
(PA-519) (1 unit); 2 / Behavioral
Medicine
(PA-518) (2 units); 2 / Clinical Clerkship-2 / Aug 01, 2016 / Sep 02, 2016
Clinical Clerkship-3 / Sep 05, 2016 / Oct 07, 2016
Research I
(PA-504) (1 unit); 2 / Research II
(PA-505) (1 unit); 2 / Clinical
Skills I
(PA-536) (2 units); 3 / Clinical
Skills II
(PA-537) (2 units); 3 / Clinical Clerkship-4 / Oct 10, 2016 / Nov 11, 2016
Clinical Clerkship-5 / Nov 14, 2016 / Dec 16, 2016
Principles of
Physical Diagnosis I
(PA-520) (3 units); 6 / Principles of
Physical Diagnosis II
(PA-521) (3 units); 6 / Principles of
Physical Diagnosis III
(PA-522) (3 units); 6 / Women’s Health
(PA-535) (2 units); 2
Christmas Break / Dec 17, 2016 / Jan 01, 2017
Clinical Clerkship-6 / Jan 02, 2017 / Feb 03, 2017
Clinical Clerkship-7 / Feb 06, 2017 / Mar 10, 2017
PA Professional
Issues I
(PA-512) (1 unit); 1 / Pathophysiology
of Disease I
(PA-510) (2 units); 3 / Pathophysiology
of Disease II
(PA-511) (2 units); 3 / PA Professional
Issues II
(PA-549) (1 unit); 1
Clinical Clerkship-8 / Mar 13, 2017 / April 14, 2017
Clinical Ethics
(PA-503) (2 units); 3 / Clinical
Pharmacology I
(PA-526) (2 units); 3 / Clinical
Pharmacology II
(PA-527) (2 units); 3 / Rural Medicine
(PA-539) (2 units); 2 / Clinical Clerkship-9 / April 17, 2017 / May 19,2017
Summer Break / May 20, 2017 / June 4, 2017
Clinical Lab
Science
(PA-516) (2 units); 2 / Clinical
Medicine I
(PA-528) (3 units); 4 / Clinical
Medicine II
(PA-529) (4 units); 5 / Clinical
Medicine III
(PA-530) (4 units); 5
Medical
Microbiology
(PA-538) (2 units); 2 / Clinical Genetics
(PA-532) (1 unit); 2 / Clinical
Medicine IV
(PA-531) (2 units); 2 / Board preparation
Make-ups June 5, 2017 – June 30, 2017
Check out
15 units
22 contact hrs/wk / 15 units
24 contact hrs/wk / 15 units
24 contact hrs/wk / 15 units
17 contact hrs/wk
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COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
Didactic Phase:
PA- 501: Human Anatomy and Physiology-l (4.0 Semester Hours)
This is the first course in a two-part series devoted to the study of human anatomy and physiology.The course will cover topography, internal structures, and functions with correlations to diagnostic modalities currently used by practitioners. Case studies will illustrate the anatomical findings in classical clinical presentations of the most common chief complaints. Pertinent biochemical principles will be integrated into the course to cover cellular structures and processes which impact health and disease. A systems and an intersystem approach is used throughout and reinforced in the guided lab. Topics in A&P-I include the cardiovascular, lymphatic, respiratory, gastrointestinal, and genitourinary systems. Additional topics include water, electrolytes, acid-base balance, and nutrition and metabolism.
PA-502: Human Anatomy and Physiology-II (4.0 Semester Hours)
This is the second course in a two-part series devoted to the study of human anatomy and physiology.The course will cover topography, internal structures, and functions with correlations to diagnostic modalities currently used by practitioners. Case studies will illustrate the anatomical findings in classical clinical presentations of the most common chief complaints. Pertinent biochemical principles will be integrated into the course to cover cellular structures and processes which impact health and disease. A systems and an intersystem approach is used throughout and reinforced in the guided lab. Topics in A&P-II include the integumentary, muscular, skeletal, neurological, and endocrine systems as well as human development.
PA-503:Clinical Ethics (2.0 Semester Hours)
The ethics course is designed to expose the student to legal and ethical dilemmas faced in medical practice. The course presents approaches that facilitate thinking through the complexities of ethical issues in clinical practice. In addition, representative opinions are offered. The format will include assigned readings, reflection and application papers, and class discussions. Topics include death and dying decisions, informed consent, decisional capacity, cultural and religious beliefs, euthanasia and assisted suicide, genetic screening, and the use of humans in clinical research.Students will develop the ability to recognize and think through ethical issues as they arise in their professional practice. They will be prepared to take ethical responsibility as part of the health care team and practice empathy, principles, and protocols that enhance patient welfare.
PA-504: Research I (1.0 Semester Hour)
This course is the first course of a two-part series, and introduces the students to methods and common tools used in research. Topics include the research process, types of research, sampling and generalizability, reliability and validity, research design, methods of measurement, data collection, and statistical analysis. The courseintegrates article reviews by the student. Students will search the internet and critique peer-reviewed medical literature.The course will also provide the students with a working knowledge of research in the physician assistant and general medical profession and stimulate critical thinking. Students will recognize the relevance and value of research in their professional development and obtain the skills necessary to pursue a lifetime of learning through examination and evaluation of current medical literature.
PA-505: Research-II (1.0 Semester Hour)
This is the second course in a two-part series and builds on theory and concepts learned in Research-I. Students will analyzemethods used in medical research and evaluate the reliability offindings. Topics include medical writing, research ethics, research paper design, and critical review of the literature using published research articles. In addition, students will also make recommendations which could improve the research process. Students will cover the essential requirements for a research paper and discuss the AMA paper format. The course will culminate in a critical analysis of peer-reviewed literature, using concepts taughtinclass.Studentswill be able to recognize the relevance and value of research in the medicalprofessions.They will alsoacquire the necessary skills to critiquemedical literature through examination, evaluation, and application of research theory and methods, and have an understanding of medical writing.
PA-510: Pathophysiology of Disease-I (2.0) Semester Hours
This is the first course in a two-part series which provides an introduction to the pathophysiology of disease. The course covers a review of relevant normal structure and function of human organ systems followed by a study of pathophysiological mechanisms that underlie diseases related to that system. Topics covered include cardiovascular, blood, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, liver, exocrine pancreatic, renal, and male reproductive disease. Topics will be covered in coordination with the clinical pharmacology and clinical medicine series. Students will become familiar with the pathogenesis, pathology, and clinical manifestations of disease as organized by system. In doing so, they will obtain the fundamental knowledge essential for further study and management of disease processes.
PA-511: Pathophysiology of Disease II (2.0 Semester Hours)
This is the second course in a two-part series providing an introduction to the pathophysiology of disease. The course covers a review of relevant normal structure and function of human organ systems followed by a study of pathophysiological mechanisms that underlie diseases related to that system. Topics covered include nervous system, bone and mineral metabolism, endocrine, immune, rheumatologic, and dermatologic diseases as well as infectious disease and neoplasia. Students will become familiar with the pathogenesis, pathology, and clinical manifestations of disease as organized by system. In doing so, they will obtain the fundamental knowledge essential for further study and management of disease processes.
PA-512: PA Professional Issues-I (1.0 Semester Hour)
This is thefirst course of a two-part series designed to acquaintstudents with the history, development, and current status of the PA profession. Topics include the evolution of the PA profession, current and expected future practice trends, the PA’s role as part of the health care team, patterns of health care delivery, and political and legal factors that affect PA practice. Types of health care systems, billing, and patient privacy issuesare also presented.In addition,standards ofethical behavior, professional responsibilities, andthe importance of membership in professional organizations are emphasized.
PA-516: Clinical Lab Science (2.0 Semester Hours)
This course covers the clinical considerations for laboratory tests based on patient presentation and clinical findings. Indications for ordering the specific test, interpretation of lab results, and correlation with disease processes are covered. Topics include hematology/oncology, urinalysis, and chemistry. An emphasis is placed on interpretation and clinical significance of commonly ordered laboratory tests. The course incorporates both observation and performance of selected laboratory testing procedures applicable to a primary care setting. This includes techniques for the collection and performance of wet preps, gram stain, urinalysis – routine and microscopic, KOH prep, normal saline prep, and blood specimen.
PA-518: Behavioral Medicine (2.0 Semester Hours)
This course is designed to provide an overview ofthe psychological and social factors that influence human behavior. It willfocus onfactors that shape health behaviors and response to stressors. In addition, students are taught how behavior can be influenced by illness, leading at times to poor coping skills, and physical and mental manifestations. Topics covered include psychological models of the mind, development through the life cycle, sleep, sexuality, violence, and reaction to illness. Students will learn how to take a proper mental health history and perform a mini-mental examination. This course willprovide strategies forstudents to deal with patients,and giveinsight into the social and behavioralprinciples that promote empathy, cultural competency, communication, and collaborative care.
PA-519: Health Promotion andDisease Prevention (1.0 Semester Hour)
The course provides strategies for fostering a provider-patient partnership and tools for effectively communicating healthy lifestyles. Students will be presented with current information about various conditions commonly seen in the clinical setting. Topics include: benefits of prevention, barriers to preventive care, historical perspectives, shared decision-making, selectivity of ordering tests, and improving the delivery of preventative clinical services. Particular attention will be paid to Healthy People 2010. The course also covers selected topics dealing with aspects of preventive medicine and community resources. It explores the efficacy of lifestyle modification in optimizing health. Specific topics include domestic violence, environmental health and sanitation, clinical genetics, geriatrics, immunizations, trauma, sexually transmitted diseases, women’s health, men’s health, and systemic diseases. This course provides information to educate the clinician about the importance of incorporating preventative measures and health promotion in all patient encounters.
PA-520: Principles of Physical Diagnosis-I (3.0 Semester Hours)
Physical Diagnosis-I is the first course in a three-part series, and is designed to introducePhysician Assistant students to the knowledge, skills, and ability to conduct a comprehensive medical interview, to interact appropriately with patients, and to perform the appropriate organ system physical examination. Topics include critical thinking and differential diagnosis, interviewing techniques, examination techniques, equipment use, patient responses, the culturally diverse patient, obtaining the patient history, documentation of information using the SOAP format, and the use of medical terminology. The skin, head and neck, eyes, ears, nose, sinuses, oral cavity, and nutritional assessment are also covered in this course. The format include lectures, written assignments, case presentation, student presentation, role playing, vignettes, reflection papers, and labs. Upon completion of this course,students should be able to present the information obtained in the proper written and oral format, be able to perform the appropriate examination, understand the critical thinking process, and reflect on the need for cultural competency.
PA-521: Principles of Physical Diagnosis-II (3.0 Semester Hours)
Physical Diagnosis-II is the second course in a three-part series and is designed to further acquaintPhysician Assistant students with current methods used in evaluating and diagnosing medical conditions in the general population. It presents information in a lecture format, which is followed by a guided practical lab, a practice session, and then testing of the material covered. Methods utilizedinclude interviewing techniques, proper use of equipment, history taking, note writing, performing examinations, and correlating signs and symptoms with disease processes. Systems covered in this section include the chest, heart, peripheral vascular system, the abdomen, and the male genitalia. During this course,students will also perform OSCEs (Objective Structures Clinical Exams). Upon completion of this course,students should be able to present the information obtained in the proper written and oral format and be able to perform the appropriate examination